Means for illumination placement in photography



March 31, 1953 c. MALLOW 2,632,952

MEANS FOR ILLUMINATION PLACEMENT IN PHOTOGRAPHY Filed Jan. 3, 1949 2SHEETS-SHEET 1 CHARL E6 MALLOW IN VEN TOR.

wfiwwwalmhp March 31, 1953 I c. MALLOW 2,632,952

MEANS-FOR ILLUMINATION PLACEMENT IN PHOTOGRAPHY Filed Jan. 3; 1949 2SHEETS-Si-IEET z CHARLES MALI-0W INVENTOR.

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Patented Mar. 31, 1953 MEANS FOR ILLUMINATION PLACEMENT IN I PHOTOGRAPHYCharles Mallow, NewYork, N. Y. Application January 3, 1949, Serial No.68,839

1 Claim. 1

' This invention relates to an instrumentand a means of orienting anon-professional photographer to proper indoor or artificialillumination for effecting expert photography.

As is well known, placement, nature and power ofillumination on the areaof a subject for photography are determinative factors of good orbadresults in photography, and only after extensive professional ornon-professional experience are these factors mastered.

It is an object of the'present' invention to present both a novelinstrument and a means of acquainting an inexperienced photographer withtheplacement, nature and power of illumination requisite for goodresults of typical shots so that the tribulations of trial :and errorare avoided and so that pictures maybe even taken by a novice andin manycases by a professional in an expert fashion.

A furtherobject of the invention is to present an instrument for takingpictures which is in the nature of an instruction course until theoperator gets the feel of proper lighting effects for good andprofessional photography.

' These' objects and other incidental ends and advantages of theinvention will hereinafter appear inthe progress of the disclosure andasset forth in theclaim. 7H I p p g v Figure 1 is a view in perspectiveshowing the operation of the novel instrument on. a subject in relation.to a pair of light sources and the camera. 1

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the instru-i mentl. i.

' Figure 3' is a top plan view of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view of the instrument showing operation in connectionwith an overhead light source; r

V Figure 5' is a sectional view of Figure 2 across the plane 5 -5.-

Figure 6 is a sectional view of Figure 5 across a the plane 66.

tion of the sources of illumination with respect to the subject and thetape measure isusedto' obtain distances in accordance with instructionsa'swill hereinafter appear. 1

Thus, the instrument is adapted to be sup ported on a tripod I0, andconsists of a horizontally disposed circular dial I I the instrument asshown in Figure 1 being placed" with respect to the subject so that dialII is level with the subjects chin and at about one or two inchesdistant therefrom.

Dial H is rotatable about a circular disc I2- of the same diameter asdial I I, said disc carrying a central and depending tubular sectionI2'a' having a threaded orifice I2b for engagement with a thumb-screwI2c for securement of the tripod I0 thereto. A pivot I3 rotatablysecures dial II to disc I2, which latter is provided with a concentricgroove I4 for engagement by a thumb-screw I5 to fix dial I I in any setposition. Disc I2 is provided with a horizontal projection I6 to serveas a mounting for a pointer IT which: extends over the calibrated edgeof dial .II to indicate the angle between two light sources with respectto the sitter as will hereinafter be described. I I I 1 'A'vertical dial20 is mounted between a pair of vertically extending and spaced ears I8and I9 which" are secured adjacent the central portion of horizontaldial I'I', said dial'havinga central chamber 2I on the inner sideto'carry a measuring tape 22 to measure out distances from the subjectto the light source or sources after each of the angles is firstobtained. Chamber 2.I has an opening at the peripheral side wall definedby a pair of parallel and offset arms 2 Ia and 2 Ib through which tape22 emerges, the tape 22 being wound on a rotatable core 23 having acentral tubular extension 23a. Core 23 has therewithin restraining meansfor the extension of tape22 and as shown isiin the vformof a spring 24secured thereto at the outer end by a pin or rivet 25 and at the innerend secured to a shaft 26 at opening 21.

Shaft 26 extends from ear I9 and penetrates dial 20 as shown in Figure 5and emerges through tubular extension 23a while the latter penetrateschamber 2I and ear I8 terminating beyond ear I8 for aifixation thereonof a crank 38) having a handle 3|. Crank 3!] is secured to extension 23afor rotation of spring 24 (in event the spring 2% fails to operate)about shaft 26 by means of a screw 32 which penetrates shaft 26 forpurposes of rewinding tape 22- after the tape has been extended by handfor measuring purposes. Dial 20 is rotatable by hand about fixed shaft25,

chamber 2| and tape 22 being rotatable therewith. Dial 20 is providedwith calibrations as dial I l and has associated therewith a pointer 28fixed to the upper end of the ear I9. Means are also provided to fix theadjusted position of dial 20 such as a thumb-screw 29a in ear l9engageable with a concentric groove 29 in dial 20.

Cooperating with the instrument above described are one or moreillumination sources 32 and 33 and camera 34 which the subject faces.

To take a picture the operator consults typical data furnished with theinstrument.

Thus, for an open portraitthe operator has instructions to provide amain spotlight of 252 watts such as light 32 and a secondarydifiused.light 33 of 500 watts. The placement of these lights with respect to thesubject is done through the instrument.

. by said disc and cooperating with the graduations The instrument assl'io'wn 'i'n' Figure 1 is placed before the subject so that dialv H islevel with and an inch or two away from the subjects chin with dials 28and Hatzeroafter the tape is extended two feet ten and onehalf inches.For the positioning of the secondary light 33, dial H is moved to 54degrees, dial 29 to thirty degrees and the tape extended four feet eightinches. I

For a general soft portrait, the operator is instructed to use adiffused main light of 509 Watts and a secondary diffused light of 1000Watts. For placement of the main light, dial II is moved to 51 degrees,dial 2!) to 26 degrees and the tape extended one foot ten and threequarter inches. For placement 'of the secondary light, dial H is set toone degree, dial to thirty one degrees and the tape'is extendedthreefeet one and three quarter inches.

For a single source of illumination using a.

For a single source of illumination using a main diffused light of 500watts placement is determined by setting dial I:l to fifty two degrees,

dial 2fl to degrees and the tape extended one foot nine and one halfinches. V

. The above four examples, showing placement for determination of lightsources in conjunc-. tion with the instrument are sufficient to give theoperator specific instructions for proper il-'-, lumination to produce aprofessional picture and at the same time to give him training inillumination so that after the use of the above instrument with theabove data for a period of time a "feel for proper lighting effects willbe acquired.

I wish it distinctly understood that minor changes and variations in themateriaL'integ'raon said dial, locking ineans for fixing said dial in apredetermined position relative to said pointer, a'pair of spaced earsextending vertically from said dial, a. second dial graduated on oneside supported'bet'ween said ears for rotation in a vertical plane, apointer carried by one of said ears adjacent the lastmentionedgraduations. a housing carried by the opposite side of saidlast-mentioned dial and having 'a slot therein, a spring-biasedmeasuring tape in said housing centered on the axis of rotation of saidsecond dial and having an end extended outwardly through said slot, andlocking means for fixing said vertically disposed dial relative to saidpointer 'on said one of said ears, the horizontal dial being adapted tomeasure horizontal angular position relative to the subject, thevertical dial being adapted to measure vertical angular positionrelative to the subject and the tape linear distance relative to thesubject.

CHARLES "OW.

REFERENCES "CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patentz' UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 671,690 CreaseyApr. 9, 1901 $09 ,139 Saxton is; Jan. 2, 1906 1,308,586 Gram i Jul 1,1919 1,4414% Jefferson Jan. 2, 1923 1,926,531 Clarke Sept. 12, 19332,055,494 Howard Sept. 29, 1936 2,068,822 Schiesser Jan. 26, 19372,396,453 Windle Mar. 12, 1946 2,563,599 "Gardner-is; Aug. 7, 1951FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 16,316 Great Britain 1915 634,592France messen ers- Nov. 28, 1927 OTHER REFERENCES Pp. 63 to 65 of How ToMake Good Pictures, a book published by Eastman Kodak 00., Rochester, N.Y., received September :28, 1938-.

